A good GC advocates for the law department

David Bleich, the general counsel of Ford Motor, made many excellent points during a panel at the SuperConference. One of his statements was about how very important it is for a general counsel to be “an advocate for the role of the law department.” Build respect throughout the organization for the lawyers and what they bring to the table.

Bleich’s goal sounds trite: improve perceptions about the value of the in-house legal group. But as a management fundamental for the top lawyer, the legal department’s ambassador, its potency is obvious.